


True villains

by Lunarisss



Category: The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, just two dysfunctional lesbians being absolutely dysfunctional, no one can actually communicate here, suffering and suffering yay, they've got some issues wow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26684896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarisss/pseuds/Lunarisss
Summary: "Because true villains can't love."A short collection of filling in canon Hestadil oneshots
Relationships: Anadil/Hester (The School for Good and Evil)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

Hester couldn't sleep. She had no idea for how long has she been awake. Hours? Minutes? Her body was tired and wanted nothing more than rest for a while, but she couldn't, her thoughts keeping her awake. She heard Dot's quiet snoring and Sophie's sleep talking. Anadil, was as always, completely quiet.

No matter how bored and tired she felt, she just couldn't force herself to drift to sleep. She decided it would be better to suffer with someone than alone.

"Ani? Are you awake?"

Anadil turned so she was facing her. "Yes."

"Good. I can't sleep."

"Yeah, I've noticed. You've turned in your bed probably hundred times."

"Thought you were asleep."

"I've been awake just for as long as you've been, I just can lie in one place without bothering everyone."

Hester groaned. "Come here."

"You want something, so you are the one that should move."

"Oh fuck off, your bed is probably full of rat shit or something.”

Anadil smirked but then complied. Slowly, she moved across the room, silent like a ghost, and slid right next to Hester.

Their faces were almost touching and Hester couldn't help herself but appreciate just how gorgeous she was. She wanted to keep her this close together, never letting her go, never caring about anything else, just the two of them- And then she realised that's not what true villains should do and recomposed herself.

But a true villain wouldn't do this. A true villain would just cut off the thing they had and be nothing more than roommates.

She told herself that villains could bend the rules a little. She repeated that as she kissed Anadil, her lips tasted of salt and smoke and everything forbidden and she loved it, she loved it too much and she didn't care if she shouldn't.

She felt Ani's arms wrapping around her shoulders, pulling her closer, she felt shivers coming down her skin upon her ice-cold touch.

"Why are your hands always freezing? Sometimes I doubt that you're even alive," muttered Hester as she took a hold of her hands. She wondered how could she be so cold all the time, but never considered it a bad thing, instead, she used it as an excuse to try to make her warm.

“Not internally, that's for sure.”

Hester chuckled a bit as Anadil planted small kisses onto her forehead. There's no place on the earth where she'd rather be at the moment, yet she can't block the thought that one day, this all will and they'll part ways and won't be able to spend their evenings together anymore and-

“Did something happen?”

Of course, Anadil noticed. She always did.

“No.” She didn't sound very convincing, but thankfully, Anadil respected the fact that she didn't want to talk about it and didn't push it any further.

“We should probably go to sleep,” said Hester.

“Wow, you don't say.”

Hester turned to a more comfortable position, her back pressed against against Anadil's chest. Anadil's chin was rested comfortably on her shoulder, Hester could feel her breath tickling her softly. Her breathing was so calm and steady and her arms felt like they belonged onto her waist and Hester could swear she heard her heart beating and the noises soothed her and she felt herself slipping to sleep.

But before she could actually fall asleep, she felt a touch at her back. Then another. Anadil waited for a while, as if to see if she was sleeping. Hester didn't react, so she continued.

She was tracing small lines onto her back with her finger. At first, Hester thought they were just random, a result of boredom, but soon, she was beginning to recognise patterns and then words.

It didn't take her long to recognise the words “I love you”.

She was frozen for a while. This was the very think she was trying to avoid. Love. Because true villains didn't love and everybody knew that. Because until now, she could just tell herself that they were just fooling around a bit and there was nothing really serious going between them. Because the mentions of love always ruined everything.

But why did she feel so warm and fuzzy all of sudden? She almost considered it sweet. She should've been angry, this was all wrong, so wrong, but why didn't she want it to stop?

No. She was getting too soft. This way, she'll soon be like Sophie, that pathetic excuse for a villain that somehow found a way to win all the challenges. How hypocritical of Hester to judge her for trying to find love, when she was doing all this. She should stop. Everything she was ever taught told her to stop. And yet she didn't want to.

But what she wanted or didn't want was unimportant, wasn't it? She couldn't just abandon everything she worked so hard to achieve.

“Ani, stop it.”

She immediately withdrew her hand. “Sorry. I thought you were asleep.”

“That isn't an excuse. Never do anything like this again.”

“You're acting like I've done something terrific." 

“It's pretty close, honestly. Nevers don't love. They just can't.”

“Little bit of rule breaking never hurt anyone.”

“Isn't it we hate Sophie?”

“We hate her because she is annoying and shoves all the lovey dovey stuff down everyone's throat. That's different.”

“Not really.”

“It's not against any rules if no one knows.”

“And what if somebody will? If Sophie or Dot wakes up now, we'll be fucked.”

“There's always a chance. So we'll just be careful.”

“Good. So if you say something like this again, we're breaking up,” Hester said, trying to keep her voice as low as possible.

There was a small shift in Anadil's expression, but she still managed to look as neutral as usually. “It's quite hard to break up with me when we were never even dating.”

“And you have a problem with that?”

“No. I'm just curious. Really, what am I to you?”

“We didn't start dating because we are meant to be a secret.”

“What am I to you?” she repeated.

“You're overthinking this.”

“Just answer the question.”

“I...”

Anadil was waiting for the answer silently.

“Listen, I don't know.”

“Of course you don't.”

Hester sighed. “Ani, I didn't mean it like this.”

She stayed silent.

“You should go to bed.”

“Yes,” she said as she stood up.

Hester watched her go. She wanted to tell her to wait, to tell her that she really cared, to explain everything, but she didn't do any of that. Instead, she just lied onto the bed again and closed her eyes, but she knew she wouldn't sleep that night.

She knew this was what she had to do. She pushed away all the regrets. Because this is just what true villains do.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the day before the Trial by tale. People were buzzing with excitement and nervousness, the ones who didn't make it to the top of the leaderboard were taking bets about who would win, the actual participants were either frantically reading books about curses or falling asleep in the classes, because they haven't slept properly in days.

And Anadil was neither of them. Of course, she prepared, perhaps even more than anyone else. But she would never admit it. When she passed by people trying to guess who would win, it was always Hester or Sophie, never her. She didn't mind though, she was never the type that loved popularity or needed support.

And she wasn't too fixated on winning anyway. Sure, if it happened, she'd probably be overjoyed from finally proving herself to everyone, but it had many disadvantages, one of them how obviously it will destroy her relationship with Hester.

Well, she started doubting it would last anyway. Ever since the night she accidentally told her she loved her, their relationship went downhill. And Anadil blamed herself. She just wished it never happened. She was always so rational. Why did it have to change now?

They haven't talked of that night ever since, but she just waited for everything to blow up at once. And she suspected that day might be the one.

She was sitting in the library, along with Ravan and Hester. Everyone else went to sleep already, it was just the three of them, she and Hester sitting on a giant couch and Ravan in an armchair, as far away from them as possible. The school was quiet. Even her rats were sleeping, curled up in her pocket and snoring quietly.

Ravan sighed, threw the book away from him, waking up the librarian, earning himself a glare, and stood up. "I'm going to sleep. You two are insane."

They smirked at him in unison and he just rolled his eyes and left.

"Jeez, I'm probably going soon after him. My eyes are burning," complained Anadil.

"Weak," teased Hester.

"Don't try to pretend that you're not tired, I can see it in your eyes."

"There's still no way that I'm going before you."

"So this is a competition now?"

"Everything is a competition."

Anadil smiled a bit and lied her head onto Hester's shoulder. It didn't take her long to get comfortable, she could very easily fall asleep, if she let herself. But she sensed that something was wrong. She could always do so, picking on the little signs.

"What is it?"

Hester waited for a while before she hesitantly answered. "Nothing."

Anadil knew she was lying. She could always tell it by the look in her eyes. Yet, she didn't push it any further. She knew that eventually, she'd tell her the truth, whatever it was. She always did.

And she knew that this time, she wasn't going to like it. But there was nothing more she could do, so she chose to just enjoy the moment and buried her face even deeper into Hester's shoulder.

"Are you nervous? About tomorrow?" Anadil asked, just so they don't stay silent, because the silence reminds her of the bad news soon to come. She asks, even though she knows the answer already.

"Not really. I'll win."

Anadil smiled a bit. "Of course."

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not," says Hester, moving her hand to play with Anadil's hair.

"I'm trying to be supportive."

"Try harder then."

Anadil chuckled. "Like you need my support to be overconfident."

Hester gave her a small peck on the forehead. "Fuck you."

After thinking for a while, Anadil remarked: "You promised the post of your hench-captain to anyone who kills Sophie."

Hester frowned. "Where are you heading with this?"

"Last time we talked about this, you promised it to me."

"Of course it's going to be yours. I just needed to motivate them somehow."

"Yeah. Sorry, just overthinking this," said Anadil, but she couldn't help herself and doubted it. 

After a few more minutes of silence, Anadil quietly said: "If it's somehow only the two of us in the end, I'm letting you win."

Hester smiled a bit. "How sweet. To be honest, I wouldn't want to fight you."

"Lovely."

But then Hester's smile faded, as if she remembered what she was intending to do the whole time. "I hate to say this, but..."

"But what?" asked Anadil calmly. She knew what was coming and she wasn't ready and she hoped that Hester wouldn't say it and everything would be fine and they could be happy for a little longer and-

"I think we should break up."

"Oh." No other words were capable of escaping her throat. She was getting ready for this for the past days, but it still hurt. It was so good, why couldn't it just last? 

"If we keep doing this, somebody will find out and we'll both be ruined. We need to stop. Just imagine how disappointed our ancestors would be."

"Okay." Anadil hated herself for wanting to cry. Of course, she didn't, she stayed perfectly in control, just as always. True villains didn't cry. True villains didn't love and certainly didn't care if the girl that wasn't even their girlfriend broke up with them.

"Okay? That's it?"

"What did you expect me to say? I'm not a pathetic Evergirl, I've got some dignity."

"Right."

They sat alongside each other for a long, awkward while, neither of them actually focusing on studying. 

"Maybe you should leave," suggested Hester.

"I'm reading if you haven't noticed," said Anadil with a raised eyebrow. She wanted to leave so much, to just be left alone with all her emotions, but she couldn't help herself. Some post-breakup pettiness never hurt anyone.

Hester stared at her for a while, but then just shrugged and left and Anadil suddenly felt so alone and hurt.

But she didn't cry.

Because true villains didn't cry.


	3. Chapter 3

After Sophie left in a hurry, muttering something about having to prepare products for her new “evil look”, Anadil sighed and returned to her previous activity, which was in this case trying to convince, or, more accurately, force Hester to finally eat.

Staring at the raven-haired girl, she felt a wide range of emotion, something between anger, because the wound from break up was still fresh and Hester was utterly ignoring her since then, worry, because maybe she was mad at her, it didn't stop her from caring, even though she knew she shouldn't and it would be best for both of them to just forget about each other, and of course, the stupid urge to kiss her, because she still looked too hot, even after a near death experience.

She quickly snapped out of her thoughts before her brain could distract her any more. True villains didn't think like this. She just didn't want her to die because it was too much of a pain to get rid of the corpse smell. Yes. That was exactly how it was. Not because she cared too much for a reason unknown to her-

“Will you just fucking drink already? My hand hurts,” she remarked, trying to sound annoyed.

Hester lifted her gaze from the wall, filled with burn marks and in an obvious state of dilapidation.

“No.”

“Stop sulking already or I'll force-feed you.”

“I'm not hungry.” If Hester's voice was any stronger, it would come off as raised, but now it was nothing more than a mere whisper.

“Do I look like I asked? Eat. Now.”

“Since when do you command me?”

“Since you can't stand up from your bed because you're too exhausted, because you've decided it's a splendid idea to overdramatise and show off your skills or whatever, resulting in you nearly dying, for you obviously haven't got the slightest clue on how to take care of yourself.”

Hester chuckled a bit and burst into a coughing fit soon after.

“Open your mouth,” said Anadil, still staying somewhat patient.

“Your rats probably swam in it. That's not very hygienic.”

“You eat school lunch. If you really worry about hygiene, you probably should start there. Last warning. You either eat or I'll feed you like a toddler, since you are definitely acting like one.”

Hester glared at her, but finally complied, taking a sip from the bowl. “It's disgusting.”

Anadil shrugged. “I never said it's going to be good.”

Hester then took another sip without complaining too much. Anadil sat by her side patiently until she has finished. “I suppose it wasn't that horrible?”

“It definitely was,” muttered Hester, though the warm liquid returned some colour into her face and she appeared far more comfortable than before. Anadil said nothing, as she was quite sure the gruel didn't taste that bad, she herself tried it before. Besides, her rats seemed to love it, ignoring the slight bitter taste caused by the healing herbs she used.

She stood up to leave, for the teachers managed to ignore that everyone participating in Trial by tale was now either exhausted or injured and continued to give them tons of schoolwork.

She almost laughed when she heard quiet: “Wait. Don't you have more of the gruel?”

“Just a whole cauldron. Is that enough?” And she went and took another bowl.

After a while of silent drinking, Hester asked: “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Taking care of me.”

“Who will then?”

“I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“I see.”

“Isn't it against the rules too? True villains shouldn't do this. They shouldn't care.”

“I'm not having this conversation again.”

“I just want to know. Why?”

Anadil sighed. “We both agreed that we shouldn't be dating or whatever that was, because it's unnatural and against the rules. That doesn't mean I want you dead. You're probably the only sane person in this whole school and there's no way I'm going to be roommates with Sophie, and since your bed would be free, Dot too, which would result in them two doing makeup evenings or something. Is the answer good enough?” She waited for an answer that never came. “And now I'm going to study, since unlike you, I haven't got an excuse to skip lessons.”

“Do you want me to break your arm?”

“I'll pass, but thanks for the offer.”

“I offer you a good solution to your problem and you aren't even a bit thankful. I feel offended.”

Anadil cackled a bit, but still stood up to leave. But then she felt a hand warp around her wrist. She was surprised by how weak Hester's grip was. Usually, she was much rougher, whether intentionally or not.

“Just stay for a little more.”

And it would be so easy to leave, to just break free from the faint grip on her wrist and say she had no time and needed to solve her own problems first.

But she didn't. Because maybe it was something a true villain would do, but she was more than that. She was a friend. And she couldn't care less about the rules of true villains.

No matter how hard she pretended and concealed, she still had feelings. And she cared. She cared about her rats, she cared about her family, though she was sure they didn't reciprocate the feeling, she cared about Hester, she cared about Agatha and actually about Dot too. Even though she just kicked her out of the room. Well, she hoped she didn't mind that too much.

“What is it?” she asked, sounding much colder than she intended.

“Nothing. Just having you here...feels kinda neat? Whatever. Forget it.” In her face was something soft.

Anadil knew she had her moments of weakness and she sure knew they didn't happen so often. When they did happen, Hester had made sure to be alone, so no one could see her. It was probably the first time Anadil has seen her looking so tired and defenceless, like she just wanted to curl up and take a rest from everything.

And so she just sat at the edge of her bed, unsure of what to say, blankly watching her, hoping that she'll give her a hint on what to do. Hell, she didn't even need a hint, she needed a whole tutorial. Dealing with emotions, no matter if others' or her own, was never her strong side. But Hester didn't need her to say anything. Just her being there was enough.

One of the rats lost interest in licking the puddle of gruel spilled on the floor. It looked to the two girls, sitting on the bed and for a moment, it seemed to think about something. Anadil was sure it'd climb up onto her lap and fall asleep or search her pockets to search for whatever remains of lunch she had saved for her rats.

Instead, it found its way on top of Hester's chest and stared at her curiously. Anadil went to interfere, the encounters of anyone other than her with her rats usually resulted in loads of screaming and bites.

But the rat seemed oddly calm, almost relaxed... Before she could reach it, it curled up comfortably. Just as it always did on her. She was going to pick it up into her hands, and definitely scold it later, because how dare it cuddle with someone other than her, but Hester interrupted: “It's fine.”

She reluctantly retreated, still not quite over the obvious betrayal.

“They've gotten quite big, huh?”

It took Anadil a long while before she realised what she was talking about. Her rats. Of course. At little more than thirty centimetres of height, they really couldn't be considered small. And of course, they had their weight, which Anadil was used to, even though she probably gained a lot of muscle from carrying them around. That, of course, didn't stop her from calling them her “babies”, well, of course, not aloud, there was no way she'd say something like that in a school full of Nevers, pretending they are so tough and cool.

She just shrugged. “I guess. They probably could eat a human alive now.”

Hester smirked. “I'd love to see that.”

“Same, but it's quite hard to find a volunteer.”

“I can volunteer some people for you.”

“Sure.”

“Even though they'd probably complain a bit.”

“Understandable. I'd probably also complain if I were to get eaten by rats alive. I'm quite curious. Who'd you offer?”

“All of School for good, except Agatha, of course. But especially Tedros. You have no idea how much he pisses me off.”

“Oh, I can very much imagine.”

“And from this school definitely Vex. He's just straight up annoying.”

“I sometimes forget he even exists.”

“Well, he certainly knows you exist too well, since he spends all the lessons staring at you.”

“What? Ew. No.”

“Exactly.”

“I had no idea until now and my life certainly was prettier.”

“Well of course you didn't, somebody could propose to you and you'd be surprised that they like you.”

“That's not true at all. I tend to pay attention to people.”

“Paying attention doesn't mean you aren't straight up confused.”

“Give me one example.”

“I literally had to push you against a wall and kiss you when we started dating.”

“I knew, I just didn't make the first move.”

“And then you asked if the feelings were really mutual and if it was a real kiss or a friendly kiss. Probably ten times in row because you were so confused.”

“Just two.”

“Just? Literally any sane person would have realised.”

“That doesn't include me.”

“It certainly doesn't.” Hester smiled as another memory came up to her mind. “And then I kissed you again as an answer.”

“Cause you are shit at communicating.”

“And you suck at reading signs.”

They were both smirking, remembering the memory too clearly, for a while, Hester forgot about how exhausted she was.

Then they both realised it was all over. They broke up. This was all past.

All the good mood in the room was suddenly gone. It felt so weird, so unnatural, yet it was how things were supposed to be, right? They were both top ranking Nevers and aspiring villains. And that meant they must follow the rules. Because that was the right way, the way of their ancestors, the way that made sure everything stayed in order for thousands of years.

And they both fell silent, looking everywhere but each other.

Hester was the one to break the silence, her voice sounding oddly nostalgic and distant. “I remember that when I was sick, my mother always used to sit at the side of my bed like you now. And then she sang me lullabies. Honestly, that's one of the only memories I have of her.”

“There's no fucking way I'm gonna sing.”

“Good, I don't need permanent ear damage. Still, it must've been nice. Growing up with a mother all your life.”

“I guess? I never really spent time with her. She's pretty busy, being the Countess of Bloodbrook. And even if I did, never alone. I'm the youngest of eight kids, so I just existed alongside them and usually no one even noticed.”

“What kind of Never has eight kids?”

“The kind that wants to make sure their family's legacy will pass on. The goal was to have us all fight to death when we're eighteen so the strongest will survive.”

“That's fucked up.”

“Never parents were never the best at parenting. Well, it's not like I'm returning back there. Pretty much everyone hates me, since I got accepted to the School and they didn't. Especially because I was always the invisible sibling, for they were all so special and unique and everyone loved them and I sort of just was there. They've got it coming honestly. Oh. Yes. I'm talking too much. Sorry.”

“Not at all. It's not like you usually actually talk, so this is a nice change. Go on, I'm curious.”

“There's not much more to say anyway. No one really talked to me except grandma. Somehow I was her favourite. I have no idea what she saw in me, but at least it made my childhood more fun. And then she got executed.”

“Oh. Well, at least you've got a nice bracelet.”

“That's a very interesting way to look at things.”

“You're still lucky to have known her. Truly one of the greatest witches of all time.”

“Your mother was one of them too.”

“Her? Oh please. She was pathetic. A useless excuse for a villain. There's no way I'm going to be like her. Ever,” Hester's voice suddenly has gone cold and sharp.

Anadil shrugged. “You wouldn't have liked grandma either. She wasn't exactly the most rulebook villain.”

“Why?”

“She got married for love.”

Hester almost choked. “Disgusting. Well, at least we know where you got those stupid ideas from.”

“Of course, because us being together or whatever it was, was purely my initiative.”

“Us breaking up was purely my idea, because I'm the one with common sense.”

“I think we remember pretty different events, because last time I checked, why broke up with a mutual agreement it's for the best and the right thing to do.”

Before they could start arguing, the loud tapping of high heels sounded in the hallway, getting closer, both girls instantly knew that Sophie was coming back. Anadil rushed to her bed and pretended to read a blank sheet of paper.

Sophie stormed in and started talking about her brand new plan that they had to help her with. She either didn't notice or ignored the way that the two witches glared at each other and the fact that Hester was still absent-mindedly petting Anadil's rat.


End file.
